


emerald brown

by aprofessorstale



Category: Original Work
Genre: Banter, Coffee Shops, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Reluctant Soulmates, Soulmates, soulmates swap eye colors o:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23293558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprofessorstale/pseuds/aprofessorstale
Summary: Evangeline is so excruciatingly tired of having this conversation. “I don’t want a soulmate so I won’t get one. People get soulmates because they have a soul that needs to be mated. I am a content, independent, fulfilled soul in no need of mating.”Marie rolls her eyes. “You’re boring and constantly trying to make yourself seem cooler than you actually are. You need someone to cut through your bullshit.”  It’s always cute when Marie curses, even though she does it often. It’s something about how petite she is and how pastel and colorful her clothing is.“Hey, I’m cool.” Evan tries not to feel self conscious being called out for that while she wears black, ripped skinny jeans, combat boots, and a t-shirt that is fairly new but made to look like it’s old. They always make quite the impression walking into places together. So it’s not surprising that the cute barista is staring at them. The surprising part is the cute barista. “Wait, who’s that?"akaEvangeline doesn't want a soulmate and the cute barista with green eyes doesn't want her either.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	emerald brown

**Author's Note:**

> hiii its 4am and this came out of my fingers i guess als;dkfjalfs
> 
> i was just thinking of cute awkward girls in cute awkward situations and doing their best lkasjdf;asf

Evangeline is so excruciatingly tired of having this conversation, but at least having the decadent smell of coffee and pastries as they walk into Carino Cafe will accompany it.

She fakes reluctance as she holds the door open for her best friend, Marie. Marie is doing that thing with her face where she’s trying to be cute to make her point. It…only sometimes works. “Aw, Evan, come on. I’m just saying you won’t know until it happens! You can’t argue ‘cause it hasn’t happened yet!”

“I don’t want a soulmate so I won’t get one. People get soulmates because they have a soul that needs to be mated.” Explaining this for the upteenth time has refined it. “I am a content, independent, fulfilled soul in no need of mating.”

Marie rolls her eyes. “You’re boring and constantly trying to make yourself seem cooler than you actually are. You need someone to cut through your bullshit.” It’s always cute when Marie curses, even though she does it often. It’s something about how petite she is and how pastel and colorful her clothing is.

“Hey, I’m cool.” Evan tries not to feel self conscious being called out for that while she wears black, ripped skinny jeans, combat boots, and a t-shirt that is fairly new but made to look like it’s old. They always make quite the impression walking into places together. So it’s not surprising that the cute barista is staring at them. The surprising part is the cute barista. “Wait, who’s that? New hire?” Anxiety flutters in her chest.

Marie pats her shoulder soothingly. “I’m sure your coffee will be fine.”

“Fine. Fine isn’t great. Andy’s coffee is great. That’s why I come here when Andy is working.” Andy is Evan’s hero. Something about  _ his _ barista instincts just totally syncs with her. They have this platonic barista/consumer chemistry going on. If you couldn’t hear them, it’d look like they’re flirting but really it’s just Evan throwing lavish compliments at Andy’s coffee and Andy soaking up the praise. Neither of them have given the other any hint that their relationship should progress beyond that, not even into friendship. No, it’s a very strict barista/consumer relationship.

Which is why it nearly throws Evan into a panic attack to see that Andy isn’t here right now.

Ever the drama queen, Evan slouches her way to the register. She nudges Marie to order first. The menu swims as she stares at it. She’s never had to choose a safety drink here. She’s always had Andy, Andy who could make anything delicious. And Evan can say that with certainty because she’s tried everything on this menu at least once, but it’s different to look at this menu in order to get something Andy isn’t making. The longer the thoughts fly through her brain, the more she starts to truly see herself through Marie’s eyes. Maybe she is kind of obsessive about this. It never felt like it when Andy was here because he was in total agreement about her passion for the perfect cup of coffee.

Marie orders her Americano–always a surprise to baristas that she doesn’t get something sweeter–and steps to the side, leaving Evan to trudge up to the counter, eyes still on the menu and a distinct pout on her lips. “Uh…what is your specialty?”

The peppy, cute barista brightens, but Evan only sees it through her peripheral vision. She hates making eye contact. It’s 70% a social anxiety thing and 30% an irrational fear of finding her soulmate when she really doesn’t want one. “The most popular drink is definitely–”

“No, I know the most popular drink.” Evan winces at her own rudeness. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off. I’m just wondering what  _ your  _ specialty is as a barista. If you have one?” Evan’s eyes flick over the barista’s face but not at her eyes.

The barista–Aria, as her name tag reads–blinks at Evan. “Oh. My specialty…um, sorry. No, I guess I don’t really have one yet. I’m still training.”

Any remaining sanity in Evan’s brain fizzles and explodes, jaw clenching. “Oh. You’re training. Cool,” she says in complete monotone.

The line behind Evan seems to loom as Aria glances between her difficult customer and the others who are waiting. “Would you like a recommendation?”

“No.”

Marie watches this train wreck from the pickup counter.

The silence that stretches on between them is painful.

“If you’re not sure what you want,” Aria’s customer service voice is in full swing, “can I ask you to step aside while I help the next customer?”

Evan steps aside without verbalizing an answer.

Marie gapes.

Strategically keeping the line of customers between her and Marie to avoid commentary, Evan goes back to staring at the menu and surreptitiously studies Aria making drinks.

It goes without saying that Aria notices she’s being judged. That customer service attitude is gone as she glares at Evan.

Math equations are chugging their way through Evan’s mind so the glares go unnoticed. She wonders if it’s too late to go to another cafe and spare herself the humiliation she’s gotten herself into right now. The menu seems to be mocking her indecision as well, looming over her yet offering no answers. Evan zones out, watching the barista flit back and forth through her vision blurrily. Her hair is dyed pink and tied into a long ponytail, tucked through the back of her Carino Cafe baseball hat, which shows off her undercut. It’s a bold look. Evan runs her fingers through her own undercut, practically invisible under her chin length, undyed hair.

“Have you made a decision?” Loud, bright, cheery and fake are the words that come to mind as Aria directs a blinding smile at Evan. Oh, so fake. So extremely fake.

“I’ll have a double shot espresso.” The order tumbles from her lips but Evan’s just relieved to be one step closer to getting out of here.

A tight lipped smile. “I’ll get right on that.”

Always the type to run damage control, Marie smiles sweetly at the barista as she sips her coffee that was delivered to her while Evan astral projected due to panic. “You have really pretty eyes.”

The gentle and charismatic laugh that Marie gets as a reward makes Evan frown. This is blatant favoritism. “Thanks, I’m really dreading the day I lose them.” Soulmates swap eye colors. Evan thinks of her own generic, brown eyes. How, as a kid, she always hoped her soulmate would give her blue eyes. Aria’s eyes are like emeralds, partly due to their color and partly because it would be a true theft when someone took them from her.

Marie is already halfway done with her Americano as Evan finally joins her at the pick up counter. “You’re really going for a new level of stupid today, aren’t you?”

Massaging the bridge of her nose, Evan wonders if she should even try and answer that. “I panicked. I’ve never had to order here. In other cafes, I go in knowing what I’m in the mood for. Here, I trust Andy.”

Marie tsks, disappointed. “She’s cute. I might ask her out. So don’t ruin that for me. Did you hear her laugh? So precious.”

Of course Marie is eyeing the pretty girl. Evan takes another look at the barista, and then gives Marie a confused glance. “She’s not really your type?”

Marie gawks. “What’s my type?”

Evan shrugs, at a loss for how to explain it. “You know, like…cardigans. Awkward. Quiet. Sepia.”

“Okay, fair.”

“Double espresso!” There’s at least enough sugar in Aria’s tone to sweeten a frappuccino as she calls out Evan’s order.

Evan wishes her smile looked like a smile, but she feels that it must look like a grimace. “Uh, thanks. Sorry.” She puts forth the effort to really apologize by making eye contact.

“Oh, that’s just fucking perfect.” Aria’s glare is sour as her green eyes melt into chocolate brown.

**Author's Note:**

> i wanna post this on my blog actually alsk;dfjasf but im feeling antsy and wanted to share it here first. im gonna make it a novella! a smol novel. novel Lite. als;falskdf i want to write chapter 2 before i put this on my blog but i wanted to see what some people thought of it >< so i figured id share with some of my favorite people aka ao3 readers uwu
> 
> [~my blog~](https://www.ginacarra.com/blog)  
> my twitter: [@aprofessorstale](https://twitter.com/aprofessorstale)


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